


psychopomp

by raewxi



Series: psychopomp [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Character Study, F/F, F/M, Graphic Description, M/M, Magical Realism, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:21:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28543992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raewxi/pseuds/raewxi
Summary: psychopomp/ˈsʌɪkə(ʊ)pɒmp/noun: psychopomp; plural noun: psychopomps; noun: psychopompos; plural noun: psychopompoi(in Greek mythology) a guide of souls to the place of the dead.the spiritual guide of a living person's soul."a psychopomp figure who stays by her and walks in her dreams"
Series: psychopomp [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2091231





	1. an introduction

**Author's Note:**

> i started writing bits and pieces of this work during my school holidays, i don't think i can't ever piece them together but i poured a lot of emotions into this even if it meant nothing
> 
> a lot of characters are very much inspired by other animes & mangas and so are the various specs i've given to them. first and foremost i'd like to quote jujutsu kaisen by akutami gege bc that is a pure masterpiece!! secondly, i'd like to quote noragami by adachitoka because the lore is so damn beautiful and i love how various aspects of the japanese culture had been spun through it.
> 
> whatever i just hope whoever finds this enjoys the gibberish i typed half asleep :)))

**閻門會 hirakumon kai/ hirakumon yōkai extermination association**

an association that recruits exorcists to exterminate yōkai that are deemed to be harmful to humans and cause unbalanced ki in the environment. there are different branches of the yōkai extermination association; hirakumon kai is the main tokyo branch consisting of exorcists from ancient practitioners: the kuroo, harechii, fuyutsuki, akiya, hiharu, momonori families are all prestigious & historic names in the exorcist world.

**妖怪/ yōkai**

spirits have different feelings that overwhelm them if they do not pass on into the afterlife; they are attracted to the remains of human ki and absorb these emotions from such “ghost trails”. stemming from the seven emotions and six desires which are the basis of human psyche: 喜、怒、忧、惧、爱、憎、欲 (joy, anger, worry, fear, love, hatred, desire) and 色欲、形貌欲、威仪姿态欲、言语声音欲、细滑欲、人相欲 (lust, appearance, prestige, verbal and voice, slenderness, and love) + 眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意 (sight, sound, smell, taste, body, mind)

anyone whose obsession with any emotion or human aspect cannot pass on into the afterlife peacefully and becomes a manifestation of that emotion. most yōkai consist of only one aspect; however in some special cases, a spirit may become imbued with more than one aspect and this will make them more powerful. living ki (気) and stagnant ki are opposites and clashes on a spiritual level; in the spiritual dimension, it is possible to observe individual auras/ki, such can be done those when the tengen (third eye) ability. there are also kindred spirits; normally more imbued with kind emotions or positive emotions/ unfulfilled benevolent wishes.

* * *

**藤狼 巳神 fujiro mikami (m)**

_藤: wisteria; 狼: wolf; 巳: represents the snake in twelve earthly branches; 神: god_

_most innocent babie in the association. everyone’s cinnamon roll; daily dose of purity. kinda dumb sometimes, will fight anyone who talks shit about his friends. the next strongest; basically the op bitch that will kick your ass. actually an all-rounded honours student that everyone lowkey wants to fight._

_highly rumoured that he is connected to the harechi family but somehow no one knows anything ??? possibly his grandmother (tsunemi kiyoko/_ _恒実_ _清子) was an illegitimate child of the 47th harechi master, harechi yahiro (晴路_ _八尋)_ _._

_close combat, long distance, charms, spells, dharmas name whatever you have; fujiro will learn it. currently he fights through pure untethered ki (気) (not using any of the dharmas, just channeling his inner ki) taught to him by his grandmother, and a kanabo he stole from an oni. he is special in the sense that he has an unlimited flow of ki unlike those the rest who need to train themselves in order to build up that much of positive ki and isn’t really affect by his surroundings either (meaning that negative ki from yokais doesn’t touch him)._

**_appearance:_ ** _small but intelligent dark gold eyes, short eyebrows but prominent eyelashes; regular black hair with an undercut, freckles across his nose and under eye area. average height (176cm). dresses like a typical high schooler who has watched either too many hollywood dramas or has friends who are into korean wave. got a piercing on his right ear for funsies. always smiling at something, has sharp canines that show up when he does._

**李允 lee yun/ haru (m)**

_ 李: 2nd most common korean surname; 允: fair/ appropriate/ to consent/ (Classical Chinese) honest _

_sexciest bitch in the association (if he ever joined). one of the direct descendants of the four great shaman families of korea. he was kuroo and akiya’s friend and schoolmate. handsome (?but this is a biased account by kuroo sooooo); he attracted the attention of many girls ( & boys) in school. he was a quiet but hardworking student. _

_unfortunately he died during a yokai attack connected to aizawa’s ultimate demise. kuroo keeps his soul as one of her spirit executors for her dharma. haru had a korean father and a japanese mother; his father left the family when he was five, and his mother passed away when he was a freshman in high school. subsequently, he moved to tokyo to live with his maternal grandmother who owned a small eatery._

**_appearance:_ ** _kept his hair shorter than most of the japanese school boys (even though some of them had buzzcuts), kept it in an undercut slightly hanging above his eyes. had black hair and warm coffee eyes, upward lilting eyes and curling cat lips. wore hoodies and dress shirts a lot, as well as plain t-shirts with sweatpants. after he died kuroo tethered his soul to his necklace (a gold locket that belonged to his mother), and he often appears to wear a white t-shirt and pants (just like when he died)._

**黑緖 丹北 kuroo nikita (f)**

_黑: black; 緖: cord; 丹: red; 北: north_

_biggest bitch in the association, will never shut up about teasing people (especially rin). super protective of momonori; can and will fight fujiro if needed. is a weeb. aizawa’s biggest stan; has a rin-chan obsession; will never get over haru._

_lives alone in tokyo in a serviced apartment; she earns enough from her job in the association to afford the rent even though it’s pretty expensive. has too much clothes that they don’t fit in the closets so she has two other suitcases piled in the corner of her apartment. orders too much takeaway to be healthy. belong to the 7th pillar family, the kuroo, making her a direct descendant of kuroo kaneba (黑緖 金瑪) (aka the originator of the mekakushi). her father, kuroo kaseki (黑緖 枷木), and mother, rei mayori (冷 真夜縭), were both killed during an operation to exorcise an extremely powerful yokai._

_a mekakushi (障眼法) user, blocks or changes the views of her opponents to her advantage and set up illusions or traps. she also tethered haru’s soul to his necklace and can summon his spirit at will to use it as a conduit for her mekakushi; in a sense his soul can use her body to fight. also possesses a kindred kitsune spirit, kaze, that she releases to fight against_ _yōkai. she inherited the spirit from aizawa before he died. actually fights using a pair of blessed sewing shears (she's wicked with it) to cut off connections of spirits (akai ito/赤线) to the physical world. fucking memorized the heart sutra to use against any form of bad spirit._

**_appearance:_ ** _fox silver hair that she has attempted to dye black too many times so there are streaks of silver mixed within her sort of raven long hair; always has bangs. has pitch black eyes but her pupils are even darker, giving her a sort of devilish look. always wearing trendy clothes if she gets a chance on off-days, when she works for the association she sticks to black & white suits. _

**桃仙 幽子 momonori yūko (f)**

_桃: peach; 仙: immortal; 幽: tranquility/ blackness; 子: suffix in female names_

_cutest bitch in the association. cute and smol but deadly, guys are actually scared of her. has a naturally intimidating glare despite being the smol(lest); her ki manipulation is no joke. is actually a very kind-hearted and easy going person unless they’re her enemies._

_acupuncture dharma (鍼治法) user; fights using acupuncture pins that are blessed with her family’s merit energy to take on yōkai. her clan’s name has no association with her powers whatsoever; in fact everyone in the momonori clan has a different fighting style._

**_appearance:_ ** _innocent dirty pink doe eyes; collarbone length purplish red hair which she wears short. often wearing very summer-ish or spring type of clothes (e.g: sundresses, spaghetti strap tops); on her missions she wears the standard issued suits as well._

**藍澤 真佑 aizawa shinyū (m)**

_藍: blue; 澤: pond/ brilliant; 真: truth/ pristine; 佑: assist/ protect_

_champion of tragedies. sort of a legacy in the association; like mikami he doesn’t belong to any clan but was born with the third-eye (天眼/ tengen). aizawa took kuroo under his wing when she first entered the association after haru’s death._

_jinzū dharma (神通法); his special ability was taming animal spirits (somewhat like naashi but naashi’s speciality are deers). had a white kitsune following him around out of gratitude of being saved from a bad spirit trying to merge with it. died in a direct attack against the association (rotten guilt incident); in his last moments he untethered kaze from him and gave the spirit to kuroo._

**_appearance:_ ** _dark blue hair kept neatly and hung around his eyes, the top part except his fringe is tied into a small ponytail at the back of his head. has kindly warm brown eyes that reminds people of americano. was at least 180cm tall. always wore hoodies and track pants when not on any missions; b &w suits during his jobs. _

**白夜 凛 akiya rin (m)**

_白: white; 夜: night; 凛: frigid/ solemn_

_prettiest bitch in the association. everybody has a love-hate relationship with him because this man has no manners or ideas of appropriate social cues. sometimes will not speak for like, three hours. king of putting up with kuroo’s bullshit._

_his father is the disgraced son (akiya gen/白夜 玄) of the akiya family who couldn’t use their byayaku dharma but instead chose to practise the tazuna dharma (手綱法) that he learned from another exorcist. his mother died(?) and thus akiya only lives with his father. it is implied that he lives in the same apartment complex as kuroo and she often joins them for dinner. akiya is somewhat estranged from his father, their relationship is mostly one-sided efforts from gen trying to reconcile with akiya (akiya doesn’t outrightly hate gen he just wishes his father was around more)._

_the most versatile fighter actually; ki manipulation is his favorite alongside summoning genial spirits (he keeps a wolf, a black panther and a crow); by using his own ki as well as ki flowing through the earth, he is able to manipulate his surroundings to his advantage. his strongest suit is to use the byayaku dharma (白夜法): by activating his ki fully at full charge and counteracting the earth’s ki, rin is able to repel any other attacks with opposing ki (like evil spirits)._

**_appearance:_ ** _black hair blue eyed boy, likes keeping his fringe longer than it should be but keeps the back cropped. has an affinity for big oversized shirts and baggy pants, likes wearing sneakers; actually slightly more fashionable than people think he is._

**灰炤 空 haiteru sora (m)**

_灰: ashes; 炤: illumine/ to shine; 空: sky/ heaven/ air_

_hottest bitch in the association. quite literally. annoying parasite no. 2; kuroo’s least favourite dharma user because his fire annoys her. kinda gay for akiya and it’s very obvious; probably the bigger reason why kuroo dislikes him (she still think he’s sexc but that’s beside the point)._

_comes from the haiteru clan renown for their fire related dharmas, haiteru commands the (火輪法) which allows him to generate flames that surround him or parts that he wishes that last up to 30 seconds in a fight at one go._

**_appearance:_ ** _almond grey eyes; has fiery red curly hair that trails around his nape. likes to dress like a hobo which only incurs teasing from kuroo because she’s a bitch, has a tongue piercing and two helix piercings (which kuroo also thinks is hot but she will not admit)._

**冬月 影 fuyutsuki kage (m)**

_冬: winter; 月: moon/ month; 影: shadow_

_strongest bitch in the association. really he’s kinda scary at first sight but you discover he’s an undiscovered athlete gem; no brain really, just full of question marks. kinda quiet until you see him with kyo. best bros with kyo; they share (1) braincell that is mostly possessed by kyo half the time._

_the in’ei dharma (阴影法) from the fuyutsuki family is to use their shadows as portals; to teleport from one point to another they melt into their own shadows and emerge from another point that also has a shadow. they are also able to bring in other people. another method to use their shadows is by making them sentient; however this requires a higher level of manipulation, kage is capable of this but it uses a lot of concentration & energy to keep the act up). he’s the strongest kōmajutsushi in terms of physical abilities. however, his powers work best in a nocturnal environment, which is why he pairs up with hiharu. _

**_appearance:_ ** _has the vibes of early winter as if he’s the actual personification; ashy blue hair and cold coffee eyes._

**日春 杏 hiharu kyō (m)**

_日: sun/ day; 春: spring; 杏: apricot_

_loudest bitch in the association. looks like a cinnamon roll but probably can kill you; potential capitalist pig held up by yōkai extermination. kage + kyo = ultimate chaos and kickassery; rin will slap him if he screams one more time. literal ball of sunshine_

_in kuroo’s words: “he’s a fucking solar panel.” boi absorbs energy for the sun in order to exorcise yōkai, kinda the opposite of kage in terms of the clans they came from. by absorbing the solar energy from the sun (like literally he loves to sunbathe) he converts that into positive ki and unleashes that energy against the spirits. his strongest manipulation the ten suns dharma (十日法) , by concentrating all of his energy through one point, the hit will be a hundred times stronger than normal ones._

**_appearance:_ ** _has the vibes of early spring with a tingle of winter’s tail, murky green hair and apricot-coloured eyes._

**雨淪 木玄 amerin kikuro (m)**

_雨: rain; 淪: ripples/ sink; 木: tree/wood; 玄: mysteriousness/ black_

_the typical charismatic upperclassmen of the association. kuroo will kick him if he tries to seduce anyone with his musical magic again; likes to tease his underclassmen too much and kage has trauma now. the only person that puts up with his flirtatious behaviour is hanasato since he’s supposed to be amerin’s “caretaker”._

_amafue dharma user (天籁法); uses a koto to channel his ki; the ki anchored to his instrument is able to exorcise yōkai as kikuro play different pieces. he focuses his ki into the instrument and launches sonic attacks at opponents, different songs have different effects._

**_appearance:_ ** _purple hair that is curly and swept towards the right, it trails down his nape and is quite unkempt, sometimes he pins up his fringe with two black pins. dark indigo eyes that he lines with black eyeliner 80% of the time, makes him look like a street punk._

**花落 久芳 hanasato kyūhō (m)**

_花: flower; 落: to fall; 久: long time; 芳: fragrant_

_actually the quietest babie in the association. seems like he’s carefully observing everyone when all he does is think about unimportant details, very tired of looking over amerin because the former is a troublemaker._

_uses ten to ji dharma (天と地法); by using his innate ki, hanasato is able to amplify natural ki: ex, amplifying flower scent in his surrounding to create hallucinatory effects, overgrowing roots of trees to strangle opponents._

_**appearance:** slicked back dark brown hair that he wears around the same length as amerin because the latter said that it suited him. has droopy almond eyes of a dark magenta colour; the length of his eyelashes could compare to all of the girls and emerge as champion._

**七旭 清雄 naasahi kiyoo (m)**

_七: seven; 旭: rising sun/ morning sun; 清: clear/ bright; 雄: man/male_

_everyone’s favourite senpai and sensei in one body. kinda done with everyone’s shit; has to clean up after the amateurs. very sleep deprived and just wants peace with his deers. looks very tamed and kinda like a nextdoor pretty boy, will actually kick your ass. strongest exorcist in the association in terms of magical abilities._

_nara deers are his best mates, and those deers will kick your ass. his incantations are the strongest too. his close combat is breath-taking (literally), by using the kissoku dharma (窒息法) he literally takes the ki out of his opponents body. so yeah don’t mess with naasahi._

_**appearance:** _ _if aizawa and asahi had a kid but the kid has the demeanor of asahi and the appearance of a younger and less haggard aizawa; with flowy pudding hair like kenma's that he puts into a low bun._

**蘭芝 殷師 kashiba tadashi (m)**

_蘭: orchid/ fragrant; 芝: turf/ lawn/ grass; 殷: abundant/ flourishing; 師: teacher/ mentor_

_kiyoo’s best man. probably dating kiyoo, who knows; will terrorize the kids into doing jobs for him because he just wants to party all day. fucking alcoholic. actually quite responsible sometimes, when he’s sober, so like once in a blue moon._

_omamori dharma (护符法); fucking talisman master. will root you to the spot without even showing what he did. magician 101._

**_appearance:_ ** _typical fboy appearance: bleach his hair blonde and refuses to put it in another colour, sleepy 60% of the time or intoxicated (kids do not learn from this man !!). quite good looking by conventional standards but dresses like a fboy so there's no hope for him. doe-eyed but don't be fooled by the innocence of this man._

**弥俚 一藍 miri itsuai (f)**

_弥: extensive/ forever; 俚: rely; 一: one; 藍: indigo_

_actually the prettiest in the association. thinks everyone is after her; fucking narcissistic. no one knows what goes on in her head. kinda noisy; the kids actually really love her when she gives them secret tips._

_uses the futsuma dharma (祓魔法); born to be a natural yōkai repellent, kinda funny because she likes to taunt them and terrorize them in general. really a little bitch at heart. she’s likely a lesbien because she won’t shut up about natsue_

**_appearance:_ ** _permed long black hair & cold brown eyes, almost til her waist; often puts it up in a high ponytail. has the face of an angel but the attitude of a devil; beauty mark slightly above the top lip on the right and also has a scar on her lips._

**稲佐 夏枝 inasa** **natsue (f)**

_稲: rice plant; 佐: aid/ help; 夏: summer; 枝: branch/ limbs_

_best hands in the association. the best for her only; so gentle and sweet. actually highkey a badass, her healing charms will save anyone’s ass._

_uses the shukufuku dharma (赐福法); best at bestowing charms & curses. her blessings = good luck for the rest of your life as long as you fulfil the conditions (everything comes with a price). curses come with a price too; natsue have to face rebounds that share a linear relationship with the strengths of her curses. _

_**appearance:** sage green hair often put into a fancy bun and trails in two pieces down the front of her face, unlike miri she has warm brown eyes instead. likes wearing dark red lipstick (ex: mac's marrakesh) so yes she has an extensive collection of expensive lipstick._

**憂賁 艶快** **yūhi enkai (m)**

_憂: anxiety/ mourning; 賁: to decorate; 艶: lustre/ elegant/ charming; 快: pleasant_

_the strongest of yōkai possessors; he is able to absorb the raw emotions of different yōkai to power himself. kisei dharma (寄生法) user, one of the association strongest foes. he claims that naasahi is his mortal enemy. yuhi was originally an exorcist belonging to the kōmyō kai of the aichi prefecture who transferred to hirakumon kai in his first year of university. his mother was from the highly esteemed harechi (晴路) family who were the originators of the kisei dharma. his father was an exorcism outsider and was considered a shame for the harechi family due to their conservative ideas that outsider blood will due their dharma’s power. yuhi detests the power of hierarchy and wishes to extinguish the roots of the harechi family in particular._

**_appearance:_ ** _long mullet, almost touching his collarbones. his hair had faded to the purplish gray due to extensive use of his power_ _that brings about karmic side effects because he takes on many different identities. heavy eyebags below eyes that are otherwise described as beautiful._

**草明 涼** **kusamyō ryō** **(m)**

_草: grass; 明: bright/ light/ graceful/ wisdom; 涼: cool breeze/ desolate_

_traitor; betrayed the hirakumon kai to the rotten guilt spirit (烂孼); believes that humans as the cause of ill spirits should be the ones held responsible and those with the ability to wield their ki should be above all else. fought aizawa to his death but defeated by the combined effort of kuroo & akiya (ps: kuroo really fucking hates him with all her guts and basically swore a binded oath to avenge aizawa). _

_is a noroi dharma (咒法) user; able to speak certain idioms into facts when needed so they become a sort of incantation for him. however each scenario can only last as long as he doesn’t speak another word during that duration. he also wields a staff imbued with multiple spirits encompassing the different emotions and desire, giving him a powerful flow of negative ki needed to fight against kōmajutsushi who mainly utilizes positive ki._

_**appearance:** long fringe shaved sides, his fringe covers almost entirely over his eyes which are like a white rabbit's - pink. pale lips, freckles across large part of his face, almost entirely white hair but a little blonde especially at the roots, he is affected by albinism. often wears a black beanie and also black mascara because he likes his eyelashes dark. _

**爛孽 rangetsu (y)**

_爛: inflamed/ fester/ bleary; 孽: monster/ calamity/ evil/ sin_

_a yōkai borned from humans’ guilt of inability. attracted to guilt and feeds off desires to hold onto the physical world. it is able to use negative ki to counteract exorcists’ positive ki; a very strong yōkai of a few thousand years old. mainly uses emotional manipulation to influence and mess with minds of people (to control/possess them: control = puppet, possess = take over their body personally). was imprisoned by akiya rin after the battle of nerima_

**宿昧 shukumai (y)**

_宿: lodging; 昧: dark/ foolish_

_a yōkai borned from humans' foolishness and stubbornness to remain rooted to this world. with its main motivation being to possess a physical body, it’s natural that shukumai is a possession-type yokai which means he can take can bodies of humans or animals._

**躁修 sōnobu (y)**

_躁: impetuous/ irritable; 修: discipline_

**荼冤 daen (y)**

_荼: (figurative) pain/ suffering; 冤: false charge/ hatred_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to leave comments or whatever y'all like :3
> 
> if y'all can spot the various references then big kudos to y'all my efforts did not go wasted


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 幼馴染 • (osananajimi)  
> 1\. childhood friend  
> 2\. such a friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this story was supposed to never have a main character but i took a liking to kuroo because i framed her in such a way that she resembled me; mostly akiya would be with her because i have a soft spot for them. i actually wrote more stuff but they're all in mandarin so ummmm yeah here we go
> 
> so here's her POV throughout certain incidents of her life
> 
> tw // mentions of blood, graphic descriptions of injury, and character death

_“if we get to live another life,” kuroo’s breath gathers into clouds of white smoke that trails around her already hazy silhouette. “where do you want to be?” akiya’s a little too engrossed in his hot tea, all too scalding on the tip of his tongue._

_“i think i want to travel the world.” it’s a few moments of silence before akiya speaks up. “i always wanted to see the northern lights and see them ice caps. maybe sit in an ice house and drink out of icy cups.” kuroo kicked the snow on the ground with no particular motive._

_“fun.” she eventually concludes. they don’t talk about it again._

_-_

_they get sent to hokkaido for a mission. people there are slower than those in tokyo, the perpetual maze of hasty actions and spitting words disguised with smiling eyes and gentle voices. kuroo sits herself down waiting for their train, restlessly shifty and all legs. her hands tangle in her hair as the autumn breeze rushes past their faces sharply. akiya fiddles with a charm an old granny had pressed into his hands when they left her small sweet shop after asking for directions._

_“it’s for happiness.” the oba-chan pushes her face lined by time into a toothless grin. akiya thinks bitterly about the irony behind such a blessing, but he could only return an equally hapless smile. kuroo took one look at the rustic thing and lost interest almost instantly. akiya wonders why she hasn’t lost interest in him yet._

_-_

_it’s the annual Family meeting. Family. capital F because these people are big names in the exorcism circle. akiya, as disgraced his status was, is still a direct heir of akiya’s. and kuroo, with her dreadful attitude while shunning her own extended family with a disgusted expression everytime someone spits her surname with certain flattery and jealous venom, has no choice but to pay her respects as well._

_she’s the only paternal descendant of the direct kuroo bloodline. shame that she wasn’t born a boy. the matriarch had complained when kuroo was born. kuroo doesn’t care, she hates them anyhow. they both had made their way back to the capital after their last mission. kuroo spits in the bushes outside of the wooden gates before they stepped through. akiya doesn’t even bother to chide her for he knows how futile it is._

_by dinner, where everyone was supposed to gather in the great room, kuroo’s seat is still empty and akiya wonders what the elders will say. the old woman kuroo hates with her entire being says pardons on her part. but there’s venom in her eyes, well hidden but akiya can tell, it’s a small poisonous flame that stinks evilly._

_kuroo saunters into the room at the worst and best time. her fox silver hair is slicked back carefully with presumptuous amounts of gel. the glistening strands dangled wetly by the side of her cheeks, framing her high cheekbones. her expression is lazy but proud, eyes focused on a point far in the horizon so it seems she is nonchalant. matter of fact kuroo is most likely just trying to hide her anger and distaste for occasions like these._

_the silk yukata she dons is darker than a crow’s feathers. an obi decorated with graceful golden phoenixes - the emblem of her family, curled around her shoulders tied in a non-conventional manner as opposed to the respectful tateya musubi style. the openings of the yukata are way too revealing for the solemn event, akiya grimaces as he sees the eyes of almost everyone are strained on her. but kuroo merely smiles sweetly (fakely) and takes her own time gathering her robes, completely avoiding the cold glares coming from her grandmother._

_the chairman asks everyone to help themselves to the food. kuroo sips mindlessly from her teacup. akiya really can’t take his eyes off her even as she strikes up polite yet meaningless conversations with vaguely familiar faces present. he is barely aware of his disgraced father sitting in a far corner of the room, dressed in a dark green yukata that contrasted starkly against his pale cream ones. across the tatami, kuroo makes eye contact with him. her black orbs void of any emotions, a blank slate of watchful expression as she runs a hand to smoothen down her hair. akiya sighs, carefully picking out the fishbones. kuroo was like this fishbone, indispensable in the anatomy of a fish, but a prick in the back of the system._

_“you look handsome.” kuroo off-handedly comments. akiya nods politely, drinking his tea in a respectful fashion behind his sleeves. he had found the formal wear hanging in his room upon arriving at the minka. it was a flowy cream yukata fastened together at the waist with a river blue heko obi embroidered with lively eagles. there’s a second layer of plain haori in a darker shade of navy, but akiya decides it’s too hot for it and leaves it in the room. the yukata fitted him perfectly, flattering his well ratioed build that’s broader at the top and slimmer at the bottom. his geta clatters loudly on the polished wooden flooring when they walk back to their rooms after dinner. kuroo had held her yukata back with a piece of crimson tasuki and fanned herself annoyedly with her hands. she fiddles in her sleeve and pulls out plum candies for akiya, the plums are encased in the clear yellowish sugar. the sight of such a small but significant candy brought him back to better days, days where they were still chasing each other in the back garden of a delicately maintained courtyard with pruned bonsai and white cobblestones._

_-_

_when they were fourteen, it was a time before they joined the association, when their world was slightly less complicated than it was now. they stayed at the same apartment complex, a sixteen story block of one-room flats meant for singles, or couples, if they were willing to bear the tight space. the place was cozy but smaller than akiya would have liked, they could afford better, probably. but kuroo stays and so does akiya. his father was the one who actually got the housing for them, but since he wasn’t always around, it was like living on his own._

_there was a small eatery down the street from their apartment. on one occasion kuroo had dragged him toward the store after school, gushing about a part-timer with black hair and wide brown eyes._

_“he doesn’t look local.” she smiles devilishly, her eyes shining the brightest they've ever been in a long, long time. akiya barely struggled against her hold, her fingers were slender and warm, firmly grasping his wrist._

_“welcome!” a bright voice rang out when kuroo and akiya entered the eatery. it was way past lunchtime and too early for dinner so the place was empty. the boy, true to kuroo’s words, did not fit into the tokyo landscape. his hair was shorter than the high schoolers liked to wear them, shaved upwards on the underside. his eyes more alert and had a layer of small eyebags that pushed them into crescents when he beamed. his white dress shirt was crisp and he tied a half apron around his waist, it flattered his slender but solid build._

_“we will have two wakame udon with onsen eggs!” kuroo cheerily tells the boy while staring right in his face, as if she couldn’t get more obvious. “thank you!’ her voice rings out again when the boy leaves. the boy talks to someone in the kitchen with obvious respect, but it’s in a tongue akiya doesn’t understand. it’s korean, smooth and well-rounded at the ends, quite different from the flatter intonations of japanese._

_when the boy is done dusting the tables at the end of the store, kuroo’s eyes never leave him and she calls out to him again._

_“hey you!” the boy looks confused for perhaps a moment, then realizes there’s no one else in the store kuroo could call to._

_“hmmm?” his voice register is quite low, sliding nasally._

_“you aren’t from around here right? here,” kuroo pulls a seat from a nearby empty table. “sit with us.”_

_“uhhh…” the boy hesitates for a moment, but he sees that kuroo wasn’t about to shirk from the encounter. he sits down next to akiya, smelling like warm soup and coffee and something nicer than those two scents combined together._

_“you’re korean?” kuroo stares right at the boy’s face, almost cat-like curiosity in probing the stranger. akiya tsks at her, she’s making other people too uncomfortable with her outright inquisitive attitudes. but the boys just laugh genteelly and answer with a small smile._

_“yes, i’m not from around here. but i’ve been here for almost a year,” the boy gets an empty cup from the table beside them and pours himself some tea. “i’m korean. my mother was japanese, the owner of this store is my grandmother.” they all ignore his use of past tense and what it implies, the air was clear and neither of them wants to ruin it._

_kuroo nods her head fervently and breaks into a grin, “ahhh i see. well, i’m kuroo nikita, and that woodhead over there is akiya rin.” akiya pulls his face into kinder expression when the boy turns around with a polite acknowledging nod._

_“i’m haru.” a bell rings from the kitchen, indicating that their food is done. haru serves them and slips back into the seat they left open for him. kuroo asks him about school, he’s a second-year, a year older than both of them. he asks if they are siblings, to which kuroo almost vehemently shakes her head so hard that she’s a blur for a moment. haru laughs at that, clear as striking silver bells. akiya explains that they’re childhood friends, he leaves out the details though._

_at the end of the whole meal, kuroo pesters haru into giving her his number. the boy is sheepish and akiya mumbles an apology for kuroo’s bashfulness._

_“you’re too pushy.” akiya tells her that on their way home, but kuroo only makes a pissy face and runs ahead._

_the routine happens, they go into the store every wednesday afternoon when haru finishes school early and helps out at the store. sometimes they’d go get take outs too, during dinner rush hour when the shop was filled with hearty laughter and ruckus knocking of bowls and cutlery. haru’s face was a flittering permanence in their lives now, all eye smiles and curling lips._

_one night they come out of their houses to go see the summer festival, akiya borrows haru his spare yukata that the older boy thankfully fitted in. on their way there, kuroo asks haru about his name._

_“isn’t haru a japanese name?” kuroo fiddles with her fan while trying to tip toe in her wooden clogs, akiya is almost half afraid that she will trip and fall on her face._

_haru laughs, it’s a breathy laugh and his eyes squeeze shut. “my mother called me haru. i know it means ‘spring’ in japanese but it also means ‘day’ in korean.” haru’s face turned solemn at this point, “my father actually gave me another name, yun. but she said it reminded her too much of him.”_

_“my surname is lee, by the way.” haru is smiling, even if it doesn’t quite reach the curves of his eyes, but akiya thinks he’s truly smiling for the sake of himself._

_the summer festival is the last time they meet each other for a while, the tangle of mess they call family and the extended board of people they have to meet begrudgingly each year, without fail. kuroo and akiya step into the huge courtyard, decorated in a japanese zen style and is welcomed by the butler. they don’t get to leave until after dinner, until after everything is so political and boring to them that kuroo starts making crude comments. akiya doesn’t even bother to make his presence a big deal, for he knew how useless it is for someone of his status to fight for a space in the vast ocean of ambitious people who will try all means to get their hands on a pie of power._

_kuroo would much prefer to stay out of sticky matters like these, but she’s the sole direct heir of the kuroo bloodline and akiya knows that they were different from the start. their families were enemies at so many points in history, but during crucial moments they realised cooperation. so as they were now, a disgraced descendant and a shunned successor, what an ironic pair, akiya thinks._

_they get back to tokyo early morning, the butler drops them off at the doorstep. they both bow ceremoniously, lowly servants somehow more deserving of their respect and gratitude. kuroo goes home without a word, something unreadable on her face like a sheet of frost. akiya knows the family matriarch must have targeted the girl again, poking at her sides for being a female. akiya could see the irony in this, for the head of the family was a female as well. many coveted the position, but not kuroo, who shys away at the first sign of trouble involving the dharmic families._

_kuroo drags him to haru’s place after school, on a wednesday. the shop is closed though, there’s no notice stating when it will open again. she dails haru’s number on her phone, but it rings until the tone breaks. akiya says nothing the whole time, even though kuroo looks positively on the verge of a breakdown. she doesn’t cry, not since her parents’ death. they go home in silence, barely remembering that they didn’t eat lunch._

_it’s almost midnight when someone rings the bell at her house and kuroo almost gets the shock of her life. the intercoms connected to the gate buzz alive, there’s panting and a sweat drenched face, sticky traces of blood coating their features that were already barely recognizable in the fizzed out footage. but kuroo can still tell, those sharp eyes and almost ironically curling lips - it’s haru._

_“help.” his voice is surprisingly calm. there’s a black shadow that covers the footage momentarily, as if a dark cloud is moving over the bright moon, but there’s scuffling in the background. someone groaning and animalistic cries which would have frightened almost anyone else. kuroo slips her blessed shears into the back of her sweatpants, debating whether she should go now. it’s now or never, a small part of her brain warns her. kuroo bolts out of the house, opting for the stairs because she knows the ancient lift would never make it in time. her legs are moving on their own, taking steps at a time and it’s almost miraculous that she hasn’t sprained her ankle or tumbled down into a heap._

_the gates were wide open, swinging ominously. there’s scuffling going on outside, kuroo pulls out her shears in an offensive stance, making her way slowly but surely. someone’s coughing, hackling in a moist manner that sounded oppressively painful, like thick mud stuck in boots. more growling and a loud crash, the streetlights outside flicker. one. two. and they turn on almost normally again. it’s so quiet, so still that kuroo only hears her own breathing for almost a moment._

_she hears her own footsteps set sandily into the ground, hear the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind, hear the distant roaring of engines speeding into the night, hear the unmistaken drip of thick liquid onto the tar road. the view which enters her eyes is horrifying and lasting. there’s an absolute silhouette of a yokai under the dim coverage of streetlights, and a human, kneeling over the monster which has started to disintegrate._

_it’s a grotesque thing with multiple bulging eyes along it’s misshapen head, few of which had been stabbed shut, blood flowed steadily out those appendages. horns growing down its melting sides of unequal volume. the yokai had six arms… or so, kuroo could not tell for sure since the yokai was obviously on its last breath. she knew the person must have been haru, but he stays unmoving, almost fully encased in the shadows of the humongous, grisly creature._

_“haru…?” kuroo had no idea why her voice was shaking, the shears in her hands somehow weighed a thousand pounds heavier._

_“mgmhmff…” there’s a gurgling sort of intelligible sound coming from haru and kuroo hastens her pace._

_then she sees the full picture. there’s a huge gaping wound where haru’s torso should have been, and his left arm has been reduced to a stump slightly above his elbow. the continuous sound of blood hitting the ground made kuroo’s own blood run cold, the creature had been struck in various areas too, kuroo could almost make out the large kitchen knife wrapped in exotic talismans still gripped unmovingly in haru’s right hand._

_kuroo could barely manage a gasp, bile hits the back of her throat with nowhere to go and she instinctively rushes forward, trying hard to salvage what she could. the yokai releases one last below as it transforms into vile smelling ashes that dispersed around them. kuroo’s hands slipped in the blood that drenched almost half of haru’s body, a sickening sloppy sound haunts her as the creature’s limb that penetrated his torso cracks into dust. haru’s body convulves violently as he doubles over once more, a puddle of blood rapidly pooling around him soaks through kuroo’s pant legs._

_“i… i…” haru’s mouth was so full of crimson liquid which spilled between his teeth everytime he tried to form a coherent sentence. kuroo wanted to tell him to stop talking, tell him that it’s alright to tell her another time. but she knew the answer herself, there was no other time apart from right now._

_“shh...s… mmmffh… s..o..rry…” haru’s body leans forward limply into kuroo’s arms._

_“no…” kuroo’s sobs escape her one by one, slowly overcoming the initial shock of the brutal bloodbath. “no… c’mon haru… we got to get you some help, i’ll… i’ll call akiya… please haru… please god no… please…” but his body gradually becomes heavier, the blood still nauseatingly trickling out of his wounds, painting kuroo’s whole front a canvas of reds. haru’s expression is not yet slack, but the gleam his eyes are almost like the ends of embers in a dying fire. she slings his body over her shoulders and puts his weight onto her body._

_“sk… st… stt...op…” he stutters through disobedient jerks. kuroo pretends she can’t understand what he’s saying, but in reality, she does. there’s no use. give up. just let me be. i’m going to die either way. there’s no way to save me now. the knife previously clasped in his hand drops to the ground with a harsh thud, haru’s using almost all his remaining strength to do something. kuroo cannot fathom what, but his fingers search blindly for something in the mess of his chest. at last he perhaps grasps it within his weak fingers and brings it out to kuroo._

_it’s a regal golden locket, probably gilded but nonetheless elegant. he tugs once, and twice, and thrice, he coughs, and more blood spills forth. they run down his chin, gathering at the sharps of his jaw and dripping onto his clothes, onto the pavement, onto the cloudless night with faraway stars and sorrowful moon, staining it permanently. kuroo’s fears meant nothing, if she could exchange anything right now for haru, she would. the locket falls from his already pale fingers, painted so brilliantly by his own blood. and haru slips from her world as well. it lays open on the ground as kuroo tries so hard to shake the boy awake, but his eyes are closed once and for all._

_her eyes fall onto the picture. a small piece of the broken boy who was once whole. he was younger, all smiles and donning a child’s suit while hanging onto a beautiful woman. her dark locks luscious, lips curling and reminiscent of the boy before her. the woman is all smooth and curves and lovely, kuroo could see the resemblance, the curves of their eyes and mouths. her fingers scrap painfully against the rough ground as she snatches the locket up._

_there’s no time to waste. kuroo snatches haru’s abandoned knife and peels off its talismans, she finds a particular one that has faded more than others. that would be ideal. her fingers are trembling so pitifully, and kuroo musters all her strength to carefully lay the boy against a wall, where he could rest in peace. she gets to work, drawing forbidden symbols and painting foul words with the gallons of blood that streamed endlessly on the ground._

_she chants, words pulling from the depths of her soul spoken in true power. if it succeeds, she could salvage at least his soul, binding it transiently to a mortal object. she sells a part of her own soul for such heavy sorcery, but it’s a price she will pay, a hundred times over if needed to._

_a small sigh escaped her lips. the boy still cladded in white stands before her, his form misty and almost non-existent._

_“so that was the end.” the boy says with a sad smile. kuroo dazedly falls back onto the ground, but a cynical laughter escapes her throat almost gutturally. haru’s body was still against the wall, pale and devoid of life, but his soul gathered kuroo’s face into his hands and placed his forehead against hers._

_“thank you.” haru’s eyes were almost as warm as they had been, sepia tinted and shiny. kuroo sobs, she cries into the bloody body of haru, the metallic smell of blood forcing their way through her nostrils and imprinting eternally into her memory of that fateful night._

_in the distant, the first rays of golden lights hit the horizon. dawn was almost breaking and kuroo ought to clean up the mess. she hears familiar footsteps and turns her head towards the source, it was akiya. he leads her out of the way before casting his veiling spell, casting the scene in a purplish light. haru’s body was long cold, the blood doesn’t go away, they cling to the wall and ground even as akiya weaved a great scarlet spell of reversals. kuroo sits on the steps, still clutching the locket tightly which she had sealed haru’s soul into. the locket felt so darn dense, as if it was the price of a soul, a life. kuroo wondered if she made the right choice._

_-_

_they somehow clean off enough blood from haru’s body for it to resemble the shell of who he once was. akiya carries the boy, covering him in spare white sheets they found in his own apartment. the eatery was almost destroyed, the yokai must have attacked them after they left that afternoon when they had found the place empty. his grandmother was tucked away in a corner of the shop, they assume that haru somehow casted a hypnosis spell to protect his grandmother while he fought the creature._

_there are barely cases of yokai attacking just one group of humans with a particular location. yokai preferred to deal large area damage and not just limit themselves to one target. something about the whole incident felt fishy._

_kuroo gently undoes the sleeping spell and waits for the old lady to stir awake. haru had even covered her with an old blanket, and kuroo’s heart ached. it pains her that she’s not the bringer of good news, pains her that she has to face death head on once again. the old lady opens her eyes and looks at the two teenagers, fully realising that something is amiss when she sees her little shop in wrecks. tables and chairs splintered apart, glass fallen into a thousand pieces scattered across broken tiles. then she lays her eyes upon the white cloth bundle in akiya’s arms, he clears a space before laying the body down._

_the old lady doesn’t cry, just gently reveals haru’s ashened face, whose peaceful expression made it look as if he was just fast asleep. she caresses his face with slow strokes and kuroo sees the tears glistening in her eyes, though she wipes them away before they fall._

_“thank you for bringing back haru to me.” she bows to the duo and akiya returns the formality. kuroo closes her eyes, putting her heart and soul into calling out for him._

_haru._

_haru._

_haru ―_

_she hears an audible gasp. it must have worked. she opens her eyes to the scene of a granny embracing her dead grandson, who tells her over and over again the same phrase. kuroo doesn’t quite understand the foreign words, but it meant some consolation for sure, something to pacify the heart of an old lady who had lost her daughter and lost her grandson within a span of two years._

_people suffer. they do in different ways, seven continents, five oceans, seven billion people teeming with life and thousands who lose their lives each day, kuroo knows this, she knows lives must be lost for more to replace them, but it’s hard to stomach the painful truths that taste bitter and weighs down one’s soul. it’s hard to accept and harder to let go, but life constantly pushes forward like waves drowning out the frontier._

_kuroo breathes heavily through her nose, her whole body seemed to lax out as she exhaled in the chilly morning air which tickles her nostrils. the tendrils of light reach deep into the dark crevices of the small eatery which drowned in desolation and destruction, a little warmth would mean much consolation. akiya’s hand lightly brushes past hers, his eyes unwavering even as everything around them seemingly starts to crash down for no reason._

_when they left the place, kuroo still had the locket traced between her fingertips, the metal felt cold and foreign, even though her body heat should have well warmed it up. she wishes she could say more, tell haru’s grandmother that he died a peaceful death, but that's a lie that she couldn’t bear to place on her soul, a burden she can’t force herself to carry for another’s sake in order to calm her own heart._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love haru


End file.
